Atoms

Molecules are made up of smaller particles called ATOMS.

Atoms are the smallest particle of an element that retains the characteristics of that element.

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The illustration below shows the structure of this simple particle.

Structure of a simple-atom.

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The smallest particles of each element are made up of electrons, protons, and, in most cases, neutrons, which are collectively called subatomic particles. Furthermore, the electrons, protons, and neutrons of one element are identical to those of any other element.

The reason that there are different kinds of elements is that the number and the arrangement of electrons and protons within this particle are different for the different elements.

The electron is considered to be a small negative charge of electricity. The proton has a positive charge of electricity equal and opposite to the charge of the electron. Scientists have measured the mass and size of the electron and proton, and they know how much charge each possesses. The electron andproton each have the same quantity of charge, although the mass of the proton is approximately 1837 times that of the electron.

In some of these bits of the smallest particle there exists a neutral particle called a neutron. The neutron has a mass approximately equal to that of a proton, but it has no electrical charge.

According to a popular theory, the electrons, protons, and neutrons of this small particle are thought to be arranged in a manner similar to a miniature solar system. The protons and neutrons form a heavy nucleus with a positive charge, around which the very light electrons revolve.

The bits of one element, however, differ from the atoms of all other elements. Since there are over 100 known elements, there must be over 100 different types, or a different bit for each element.

Just as thousands of words can be made by combining the proper letters of the alphabet, so thousands of different materials can be made by chemically combining the proper particles or molecules.

Below is an example of what atoms look like magnified under a microscope at over 100,000,000 times. 

Atoms can be manipulated as is shown in the video below.

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